14/09/2025
Life of Our holy Prophet(PBUH)
Episode 52
A Reward of One Hundred Camels
When a companion, Hazrat Hamza ibn Jundub, peace be upon him, learned that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had migrated, he said, "There is no reason for me to stay in Mecca anymore." He then ordered his family to travel with him. They set off for Medina, but when they reached the area of Tan'im, Hazrat Hamza passed away. On this occasion, Allah revealed this verse in Surah An-Nisa:
"And whoever leaves his home, emigrating to Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him—his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful." (Verse 100)
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, once asked Hazrat Hassan ibn Thabit, "Hassan, have you composed any poetry about Abu Bakr?"
He replied, "Yes."
The Prophet said, "Recite it; I want to hear it."
Hazrat Hassan ibn Thabit was a great poet, known as the "Poet of the Messenger." At the Prophet's request, he recited two verses, which can be translated as follows:
"Hazrat Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq was the second of the two, in that high and lofty cave. When they reached the mountain, the enemy circled them. He was a passionate lover of the Prophet, as the world knows, and in this love for the Messenger, he had no equal or peer."
Upon hearing these verses, the Prophet smiled until his blessed teeth became visible. He then said, "You have spoken the truth, Hassan. He is just as you have said. He is the most beloved to the companion of the cave (meaning, to me). No other person can equal him."
Hazrat Abu Darda narrates that one day, the Prophet saw him walking ahead of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and said, "O Abu Darda, what is this? You walk ahead of a person who is better than you in this world and the hereafter. By the One in whose hand is my soul, after the Prophets and Messengers, no man better than Abu Bakr has ever seen the sunrise or the sunset."
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Jibril came to me and said that Allah commands you to seek counsel from Abu Bakr."
Hazrat Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah said, "Love for Abu Bakr is obligatory upon my Ummah."
These few Hadith have been mentioned to highlight the status of Hazrat Abu Bakr, as he was the Prophet's companion during the Hijra, an immense honor.
After leaving the cave, the Prophet and Hazrat Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq mounted their camels and began their journey with a guide. Hazrat Amir ibn Fuhayra also rode on the same camel with Hazrat Abu Bakr. This small caravan set off, with the guide leading them along the coast.
Whenever they met someone, they would ask Hazrat Abu Bakr, "Who is this person with you?"
He would reply, "He is my guide."
He meant "my guide on the path of religion." However, people understood this vague answer to mean that he was a geographical guide. The reason for Abu Bakr's ambiguous reply was that the Prophet had instructed him to deflect people's questions. The Prophet couldn't lie in any situation, so Abu Bakr would give a double-meaning answer. People knew Abu Bakr, as he frequently traveled those routes for trade, so no one asked him who he was.
Meanwhile, the Quraysh had announced a reward of one hundred camels for anyone who captured the Prophet. Suraqah ibn Malik, who had not yet accepted Islam at that time, also heard this announcement.
Suraqah himself recounts his story:
"I had just heard the announcement when a man from a coastal village came to me and said, 'O Suraqah, I saw some people heading toward the coast, and I think they are Muhammad and his companions.' I was also convinced that it must be the Prophet and his companions. I got up, went home, and told my servant to secretly take my mare to the valley and wait for me there. Then I took my spear and left through the back of my house to meet her. I wanted to keep this a secret so I could claim the one hundred camels for myself. I also put on my armor, mounted my mare, and rode toward them. I galloped my mare very fast until I was a short distance from the Prophet.
At that moment, my mare stumbled and fell on her face, and I fell with her. She got up and neighed. I got up, and I had divining arrows in my quiver—arrows that the Arabs used for fortune-telling. Some had 'do' written on them, and others had 'do not.' I took one and drew a lot, wanting to know if I should proceed with this or not. The result was 'do not,' which was against my desire to win the reward. Despite the 'do not' arrow, I mounted my mare and rode forward. I got very close to the Prophet, who was reciting the Quran and wasn't looking back. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr kept looking back repeatedly.
At that moment, my mare's front legs sank into the ground up to her knees, even though the ground was hard and rocky. I got off my mare and rebuked her. She stood up, but her legs were still stuck in the ground. They wouldn't come out. I drew another lot, and the 'do not' arrow came out again. Finally, I cried out, 'Look at me! I will not harm you, nor will you encounter anything unpleasant from me. I am Suraqah ibn Malik, a well-wisher, not a person who will harm you. I don't know if the people of my village have also set out toward you or not.'
By this, I meant that if others were coming, I would stop them. The Prophet then told Hazrat Abu Bakr, 'Ask him what he wants.' I told them about myself and my intentions, and I said, 'Just pray that my mare's legs come out of the ground. I promise I won't pursue you anymore.'"
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